Why Prince Andrew Has Surrendered His Official Honors – and What It Means for the Monarchy
In a statement issued by the royal household, the king's brother has declared that he will be giving up his official honors, including the Duke of York. Here are the details of what was announced – and what wasn't.
What Has Andrew Said?
Having already stepped down as a active member of the monarchy in 2019, Andrew has now decided to “go a step further” and consent not to use the “title or the honours which have been conferred upon” him.
But he also employed the announcement to emphatically rejecting – consistent with his past statements – the accusations of sexual impropriety leveled at him; albeit having paid out a substantial sum to settle the legal claim filed by Virginia Giuffre – a settlement in which he admitted no liability and firmly denied all allegations of improper conduct.
There has existed ongoing scrutiny toward the royal institution regarding the allegations involving the prince – especially since his disastrous Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis in 2019. He now claims he is acting to safeguard the royal family from additional harm resulting from public speculation.
Has the King Stripped Him of His Titles?
Not at all. And although this could be dismissed as a simple procedure, it is significant in multiple ways: first, it enables the prince to openly state to have behaved with integrity in defence of the crown. As stated in his announcement: “I have decided, as I always have, to prioritize my obligations to my family and country first.”
Second, although he consented not to use it, the prince keeps his ducal title, along with the honors the Earl of Inverness and his barony and the prestigious Garter role as Royal Knight Companion of the prestigious order. Similar to the His Royal Highness honorific, they essentially become inactive.
He remains royalty and eighth in the line of succession. Theoretically, he is also still a counsellor of state – and can stand in for the sovereign should he be abroad or ill. However the palace has made clear that, in practice, he will not be called upon to perform these duties.
Nevertheless, it is telling that Andrew’s statement indicated this choice was made “in discussion with the monarch”. It appears little doubt that, behind the scenes, the palace pushed for the move in the hope of cutting Andrew loose.
Why Was He Not Formally Stripped of His Entire Honors?
To revoke a ducal title would take legislative action, and would represent an unprecedented step in full view of the nation – it has not happened to a high-ranking royal in more than 100 years – that it could result in further harm to the image for the monarchy.
Andrew is also still a prince. When he was born in 1960, he was automatically as the son of a monarch. This would only be altered if a letters patent was enacted by the king.
The whole process could end up being protracted, implying the objective of swiftly resolving the issue – particularly for the royal family’s purposes – would not necessarily be met.
What Does It Mean for the Prince?
Embarrassment, likely above all. The announcement represents an substantial reduction of status he has fought against for a long time.
The prince and his former spouse, Sarah, continue to reside in their Windsor residence, despite rumoured attempts by the king to encourage his brother to relocate of the thirty-room Crown Estate property in the Windsor estate.
Although limited information has been revealed about exactly how much money the prince has obtained as a result of his position, he remains a person of means. In 2007, he managed to raise £15m from the sale of a property that had been a gift from his mother, for example.
Why Now?
The continual list of scandals related to the prince has become unacceptable for the king and other high-ranking family members.
His association with the jailed child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has again under scrutiny following revelations Andrew had told him “we share this situation” in an email sent three months after he claimed to have ceased contact.
There have also been reports about his connections with a suspected intelligence operative and, this week, extracts were published from the book released after death of Giuffre, who died by suicide in April. She alleged the prince “believed that engaging sexually with her was his birthright”.
Furthermore, the sovereign is due to undertake a significant trip to see the pontiff next week, when he will become the first English monarch since Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church in 1534 to worship openly with the Holy Father and head of the Catholic church. He would not desire that visit to be marred by more negative headlines about his brother.
What Was the Response?
Although he stated Giuffre had been “vindicated” by the decision, her sibling Sky Roberts has told the Times that Andrew’s honorary prince title ought to be removed for “genuine accountability” to be done.
The republican campaign group Republic has additionally stated the action is “insufficient and delayed”, adding: “Andrew remains facing allegations of sexual offences and abuse of office. He should be divested of every honor and his military position and should undergo a criminal investigation. Not using archaic honors is not a penalty that matches the accusations.”
